Wisdom In your eyes, Kindness in your smile

Both Photos By Kim Hughes

Today we went on a little walk to meet Flourencia a 98 year old midwife. She spent most of her life working as a midwife along with having 13 of her own children. She survived the Japanese invasion of the 1940 and took medical classes from UNICEF. Most of her kids have gone on to have families of her own and she is loved by over 100 grandchildren. Although 98 years old she is witty, vibrant and walking up and down stairs! You could tell she had truly lived. I hated to say good bye because you know you are leaving a woman of great wisdom who could tell you stories that would change your character. Like a firefly in the mountains of the Philippines her joy is bright and like each of our lives no matter how hard we try or what we do it only last a moment.

Flourencia, it was for this brief time of meeting I saw Wisdom in your eyes and Kindness in your smile. With much love and respect I live so that I may grow old like you. If my time comes before 98 I live so that I may grow old like you spending my life on the care of women and children.